Watertown, Massachusetts Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Watertown, MA Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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A+
Health Top grade
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A+
Income Top grade
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A+
Education Top grade
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Watertown | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 35,594 | 7,031,620 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 8630.4 | 666.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.69% | 0.53% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 38.3 | 39.0 | 37.3 |
| Households | 16,364 | 2,777,931 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Watertown grew by 9.1% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 35,594 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Watertown is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 29.7% of residents. That is 7.8 points above Massachusetts as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 6,422 18.0% -3.5 pts
- Millennials 29–44 10,571 29.7% +7.8 pts
- Gen X 45–60 6,969 19.6% -1.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 5,984 16.8% -0.5 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Massachusetts, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 53.3% of the people living in Watertown and men 46.7%.
- Women 53.3% Massachusetts 51.2%
- Men 46.7% Massachusetts 48.8%
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Economy
Watertown has a the economy index of A+, which means it is exceptionally prosperous.
| Metric | Watertown | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $126,987 | $104,336 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.25% | 4.91% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.3% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Watertown is about 22% higher than in Massachusetts.
Housing
| Metric | Watertown | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $1,053,396 | $494,523 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $2,502 | $1,761 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 47.7% | 62.5% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Watertown is about 35.1 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $2,502 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Watertown spend about 52 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 219 hours, about 9.1 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Watertown | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 26.2 | 25.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 52.5 | 51.1 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 219 | 213 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,778 | $6,603 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 29.1% | 18.6% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 23,938 | 14,741 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,465 | 2,164 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Watertown is about the same as in Massachusetts.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Watertown has a education index of A+, which means it is exceptionally educated.
| Metric | Watertown | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 63.6% | 42.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.15 | 2.44 | 2.53 |
Health
Watertown has a health index of A+, which means it is exceptionally healthy.
| Metric | Watertown | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 81.8 | 80.5 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 7.2% | 11.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 8.6% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
Watertown, MA Compared With Nearby Cities
Watertown, MA is the 5th largest of the 6 cities compared here, 35,594 residents against a local median of 63,198. Where Watertown, MA breaks from the cities next to it is median household income, sitting 16% below the local median of $151,416 at $126,987. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Median home price tells the same story from another angle: $1,053,396 against a local median of $1,239,921, 15% below it. The cities themselves spread $59,170 on median household income, so Watertown, MA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Watertown, MA has the 6th highest median household income of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Watertown, MA | 35,594 | $126,987 #6/6 | $1,053,396 #5/6 | 26.2 min #3/6 |
| Belmont, MA | 27,165 | $187,422 | $2,163,043 | 30.7 min |
| Newton, MA | 88,909 | $190,683 | $1,092,024 | 25.1 min |
| Arlington, MA | 46,270 | $151,416 | $1,743,589 | 31.5 min |
| Brookline, MA | 63,198 | $143,651 | $1,239,921 | 27.0 min |
| Cambridge, MA | 117,266 | $131,513 | $678,104 | 23.7 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Watertown, Massachusetts.
How many people live in Watertown, Massachusetts?
About 35,594 people live in Watertown, Massachusetts, in 16,364 households of 2.1 people on average. The median age is 38.3, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Watertown, Massachusetts mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Watertown, Massachusetts has 8,630 people per square mile, a density typical of a city. That is about 100 times the U.S. average of 86.
Is Watertown, Massachusetts an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 8.3 times the median household income ($1,053,396 against $126,987), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $2,502 a month takes about 24% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How common is a college degree in Watertown, Massachusetts?
63.6% of adults in Watertown, Massachusetts hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 6 in 10), well above the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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